Mine signaling device.



J. RULE. MINE SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1911.

1,023,040. Patented Apr.9, 1912.

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JOHN RULE, J' AGKSON, CALIFORNIA.

MINE SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application filed July 28, 1911. Serial No. 640,981.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, JOHN RULE, a citizen of the United States, residing at J acktance for safety to have a signaling system by which the elevator conductor, or others, can communicate with the engineer at the power station from the elevator.

An object of this invention is to provide a signaling system for the above purposes which, by its peculiar arrangement of parts is, to a maximum degree, reliable and can be operated from the elevator at any point in the shaft.

For a full understanding of the present invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of an elevator shaft provided with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the circuit closer used; Fig. 3 is a section thereof; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the operating member and.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a modified form of the lifting mechamsm.

Throughout the following detail descrip tion and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, at 1 is indicated an elevator shaft leading down into a mine, which shaft may be vertical, or at an angle, as illustrated, and having the usual longitudinal and cross-timbers 2 and 3, respectively, on which the cage guides 4 are secured.

As illustrated diagrammatically in the "drawings, an electric bell 5, which may be "located at any desired point within sounding distance of the engineer at the power station, has wires. leading to the electric cable 6 running down through the elevator shaft. The bell circuit, which has its source "from electric batteries shown at 7 is normally open, and at suitable distances apart bracket 28.

in the elevator shaft are located circuit closers adapted to be operated by an operat ing bell .cord 8.

The operating bell cord 8 is fastened at its lower end, as shown at 9, and the upper end is carried by a spring member 10, said spring member being adjustably fastened upon one of the cross-timbers 3 by means of a clamp 11 and an adjusting screw 12. Throughout its length the operating cord is guided by guide blocks 13.

A bell crank 14 is mounted adjacent to the operating cord 8 and one arm thereof connected thereto while the'other arm is con nected to the circuit closer by means of a link 15, and the insulating block 36, for operation thereof.

Describing the circuit closer specifically, at 17 is indicated a base plate carrying the different 'mechanisms. The terminals and 19 of the electric circuit are fastened to the binding posts 20 and 21, and one con tact point, in the form of a metal plate 22, is carried by the binding post 20, the free end of said plate being raised, as shown at 23. A leaf spring 24 of conductive material is carried by the binding post 21'and has a contact point 25 located on the free end directly under the raised portion of the plate 22 but normally not touching the same.

An operating or lifter pin 26 projects to one side of said leaf spring into the path of an operating member 27 which is slidably mounted and guided by a supporting Said bracket has an upwardly projecting flange 29 which is slotted at 30, through which slot projects the stud 31. carried by the lifting member 27, thereby guiding said lifting "member in its movements, said stud constituting a pivotal mount-ing for the member 27 aforesaid. The lifting member 27 has a laterally projecting portion 32 beveled at its front portion at 33 and the rear of said lateral projection has an undercut bevel 34, said beveled portion of the operating member being adapted to operate upon the projection 26 in closing the circuit.

A. link 35 is carried by the stud 81 and connected to the link 15 by an insulating block 36.

In operation, the elevator conductor or other occupant of the elevator cage will pull the operating cord 8, thereby shifting the bell crank 14; which, in turn, will operate the member 27 through the links 15 and 35.

The beveled portion, during such movement, will come into contact with the projection 26, thereby lifting the free end of the leaf spring 24 and brlnging the contact points 22 and 25 together in closing the circuit. During the movement of the operat ing member, the lateral projection 82 completely passes the pin 26 and the contact points are allowed to separate, thereby opening or breaking the circuit. When the bell cord is again released the circuit breaker and associated parts will be restored to their normal positions by the spring member 10. Thus the undercut bevel 34- will come into contact with the pin 26 and the member 27 will be lifted, allowing the projection 32 to pass the pin 26 without closing the circuit. The outer extremity of the spring 24 normally rests on the support 37 and the operating member 27 is guided by a guide block 38.

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the projection 32 of the lifting member 27 is longer than the one illustrated in the preferred form and not adapted to pass the contact point 24 in operating the bell cord 8 for ringing the bell,

but will continuously maintain the contact points in closed position, thereby continuously ringing the bell which may be either electro-mechanical or vibrating.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In signaling means, a circuit closing device comprising a base, a relatively stationary contact point mounted thereon, a movable contact member cooperating with the contact point aforesaid, a bracket secured to said base having a slot therein, an

operating member slidably mounted on the base having a laterally extending lug at one end thereof passing through the slot aforesaid to permit pivotal movement of said member, the other end having a beveled portion for moving the movable contact member into engagement with the stationary contact point when said operating member is moved in one direction, said bev eled portion being also cut away at its under side to permit the operating member to return to operative position without engaging the movable contact point aforesaid, and means for actuating the operating member.

2. In signaling means, a circuit closing device comprising a base, a relatively stationary contact point thereon, a movable contact member normally spaced from said point and having a lateral pin projecting therefrom, a sliding operating member having a lug at one end beveled to engage be neath and raise said pin and contact me1nber to operatively connect the contact member and contact point, said lug being beveled at its opposite extremity to engage over the pin of the contact member on the reverse movement of the operating member preventing connection of the contact member and point, and means for sliding the operating device connected thereto to permit slight pivotal movement of the latter on its reverse sliding movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN RULE. lVitnesses BEN SANGUINETTI,

JOHN L. lVILY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

